Three and Out: Dolphins close worst December stretch of three home games in club history

Dolphins going 0-3 at home in December against three teams with four or fewer wins is unprecedented

December 26, 2010|By Steve Svekis, Sun Sentinel

Has there ever been a worse set of three successive home results for the Miami Dolphins?

Definitely not in December, where the franchise had only endured one other 0-3 home record.

That other time was in 1993. The Dolphins, crippled by the loss of quarterback Dan Marino to a ruptured Achilles' tendon in October, were going through signal-callers with impunity. Scott Mitchell. Doug Pederson. Then Steve DeBerg, who was a couple months from turning 40.

After the famous Leon Lett game on Thanksgiving, where the Dolphins escaped a 14-13 loss when the Dallas defensive tackle touched a blocked field-goal attempt downfield, making it live and allowing the Dolphins to kick again and win 16-14, Miami came home at an improbable 9-2 for three consecutive home games.

The upheaval behind the center, however, caught up the the Dolphins and they lost all three of those games, 19-14 against the 8-3 New York Giants, 21-20 to the 7-5 Pittsburgh Steelers and, finally, 47-34 against the 9-4 defending AFC champion Buffalo Bills.

Not even close to the same realm as this squad--beginning the stretch with a winning record--dropping decisions to a 4-7 Cleveland, 3-10 Buffalo and 3-11 Detroit.

The 1-7 home record is matched in futility only by the 2007 Cam Cameron squad that went 1-15. Even that single win, however, came in December.

Adding to the torture is that--with the Jets, Jaguars and Chargers losing Sunday--a 9-6 Dolphins team would have been alive for the playoffs headed to New England next weekend.